IGN TV: I talked to Enrico about playing scenes with you and he says it is a lot of fun.

Muhney: Yeah it is absolutely a blast. It is a total pleasure; he is really the guy that you see on TV. He is warm and generous and attentive and caring. And because of that, the scenes are really fun to play with, because we'll take mean stabs at each other and we'll spar, but we know that there is love there and as soon as they say cut, we are laughing about stuff, or we are poking fun at the other, and we know that we are just playing.

IGN TV: Enrico told me a story about when you were filming Harry Hamlin's trial scenes last season; that real sheriffs in San Diego walked in and thought, "That guys a sheriff? He looks like a young sheriff&#Array;"

Muhney: Yeah and they see all the stars on my shirt, and I never pay attention to it, but it is such a status thing, and they see it and snap to attention, and they know a TV show is filming up stairs, and they think, "Is that the right shirt?", because I am in my thirties, but how many sheriffs are in their thirties? I like the idea that Rob had -- on the day that he met me, when I auditioned for the pilot -- is that I am not right for the role. I am right for the role [of Lamb], but my character is not the right guy to be sheriff. I am in over my head, and I over compensate for it, and I have to foul things up because Veronica has to be the heroine that she is. If I were a perfectly adept sheriff there would be no show! Crime has to run rampant in Neptune, and most of the misdeeds around Neptune have to go not answered - not followed up and not tracked down by me and my guys. Because she has to do it, which is the crux of the show, of the mystery part of the show. And in that sense I am the perfect age and type for the job.

Muhney with guest star Lucy Lawless during Season Two

IGN TV: When you did the pilot did you know that this role would be so ongoing? Was there any inclination?

Muhney: I had caught wind; I knew it was recurring, but I wasn't sure how much. If you recall I did the first couple of episodes and then I was gone for like six or seven, and then I was highly unavailable in season one, but there were times when I said, "Okay I am available. Do you want to film?", but they are already however many scripts ahead. And they have to do what they are doing. So I was skeptical and by the end of season one I was no longer involved in the indie projects I was involved with. And I was like, "Rob, use me as much as you can." And I don't think he even knew how much he was going to use me, but knew that he was probably going to more than he thought. I did as well; we got that feeling and then sixteen out of 22 episodes later . . .

IGN TV: Do you think you will ever be the one who gets to save Veronica and figure out the case?

Muhney: I would love for that to happen. My opinion -- and my opinion doesn't count in terms of the writing and story and whatever -- but I think for every 87 times that I blunder, [once in awhile] I am the guy who outwits everybody and Veronica, and saves her ass and saves her Dad's ass. That is the one thing that keeps it balanced out; you never know when Lamb is going to something again like that. So odds are he is going to foul this one up again, but we know in the past a couple of times he has broken the mold of what we thought he was. So what I like is the unexpectedness - you are not quite sure what I am going to do. So I want good to come from me from time to time; I don't want it to happen often, mind you. But just enough so you are always wondering.

Veronica Mars Season Three premieres Tuesday, October 3rd at 9:00 ET/PT on The CW